This invention is generally directed to a novel beverage substance dispenser, beverage maker or brewer and funnel interface and its method of use. More particularly, the invention contemplates a novel interface which utilizes a funnel which can be mounted on either a brewing substance dispenser, such as a coffee grinder, or a beverage maker, such as a coffee brewer, to communicate information regarding beverage batch size and/or type of beverage from the brewing substance dispenser to the beverage maker.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,399, which identifies the same assignee as the present application, describes a system of connecting a multiple batch size brewer and a dual hopper grinder in order to coordinate the amount of ground coffee with the selected brewing volume. This system might not be explicit regarding setting the switches on the coffee grinder and on the coffee brewer to achieve the desired results and confusion may result. This confusion may occur if the user is preoccupied or busy. Also, this system is complicated when a dual head coffee brewer is used with a dual hopper coffee grinder, and when a single coffee grinder services more than one coffee brewer. In addition, the grinding operation is generally much faster than a brewing cycle (seconds versus minutes). Consequently, it is feasible for one coffee grinder to service several coffee brewers. Due to the complexity and expense of the switching and interconnect cables, however, a maximum of two coffee brewers are used with the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,399.
The parent and grandparent applications, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/472,367 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,721 which are assigned to the same assignee as the present application, disclose a wireless grinder-brewer interface and its method of use. A selector on the funnel is set by a user to select beverage batch size and type. This information is wirelessly communicated to the grinder and to the brewer when the funnel is mounted thereon. When this type of system is used, it is possible for a user to unitentionally move the selector when the funnel is being moved from the grinder to the brewer, such that the information communicated to the brewer is incorrect.
The present invention provides a novel interface and method which overcomes the limitations found in the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,399 and in the parent and grandparent applications, U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/472,367 and 09/337,102. Other features and advantages will become apparent upon a reading of the attached specification, in combination with a study of the drawings.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a novel brewing substance dispenser, beverage maker and funnel interface and its method of use.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel brewing substance dispenser, beverage maker and funnel interface which utilizes a funnel which can be mounted on the brewing substance dispenser and the beverage maker to communicate information regarding beverage batch size and/or type from the brewing substance dispenser to the beverage maker.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel interface and method of use for use with a brewing substance dispenser and a beverage maker to communicate information regarding batch size and/or type of a beverage to be brewed.
Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, an embodiment of the present invention discloses an interface for a brewing substance dispenser, a beverage maker and a funnel and its method of use. The brewing substance dispenser has means therein for storing and transmitting information and a user interface coupled thereto. The funnel includes a body and a memory device therein. The beverage maker includes means for reading the memory device of the funnel. When the funnel is mounted on the brewing substance dispenser, the means in the brewing substance dispenser and the memory device of the funnel are in communication with each other so that information input into the beverage maker by a user is transmitted to the funnel. Thereafter, when the funnel is mounted on the beverage maker, the structure in the beverage maker and the memory device of the funnel are in communication with each other and the structure in the beverage maker reads the information stored in the memory device of the funnel so that the desired beverage can be brewed.
Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a funnel having a selector thereon which can be set by a user to indicate a desired beverage batch size and/or type. Sensors on an associated dispenser, such as a coffee grinder, and on an associated beverage maker, such as a coffee brewer, are capable of sensing the structure to dispense, such as by grinding, an appropriate amount of beverage, such as coffee, and to produce, such as by brewing, an appropriate amount of beverage, respectively, when the funnel is mounted thereon.